The Glowing Knight Read Online Free PDF Page B

the road that led to the Hawksbill gate.
    Which meant if I wanted to follow him once he got to Thornton, I needed to get out of Hawksbill first.
    I adjusted my grip on the curtain pull and aimed myself for the nearest section of the wall.
    â€œGood evening, Professor.”
    I paused behind a tree, holding my breath as a guardapproached Knight, and the professor bobbed his head in greeting. He seemed amicable. Like himself. Not at all as though he were about to engage in some untoward activity.
    Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe everything he said had been honest and tonight he was simply running errands.
    But what about Hensley?
    â€œWatch yourself tonight,” said the guard. “There’s a burglar on the loose.”
    Knight straightened. “Who was robbed? Are they safe now?”
    The guard shook his head. “The attempt was on the palace, but as far as we know nothing was taken. Everyone’s safe.”
    â€œThe burglar got free?”
    â€œWe’re doing everything we can to apprehend him. He trapped a few of our men in a storage building. They’re itching to catch him now, as you can imagine.”
    Great. They were out already, then. Now all of Hawksbill would be on alert.
    Knight shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched. “I’m sure they are. Well, if I see him, I’ll be sure to tell someone. What does he look like?”
    â€œNot sure. I heard he was wearing a mask. Saint Fade Christopher, maybe. A costume piece.”
    â€œI’ll keep my eyes open. Thanks for the warning.”
    The guard bowed his head. “Good night, Professor.”
    They parted ways, the guard continuing his search for the supposed burglar around a small monument of four obelisks, where I’d been hiding just a few minutes ago. Knight slouched his shoulders and seemed to sigh in relief.
    Whatever he was doing, it was illegal, and he knew it.
    I hurried on to the wall, anxious to get out of here. The space between the gate and me was clear of guards, and with the gentle hills and curve of the wall, there was no way they would see me. But now that I needed to climb it, the wall seemed more imposing than ever before.
    This was definitely going to be more difficult than I’d anticipated, but I gave it my best shot. I threw the end with the door handle as high as I could.
    It clanked against the stone maybe halfway up, then scraped as it fell back to the ground. Frantically, I gathered everything and scanned the area, but it was still quiet. No one had heard . . . this time.
    One more time. I gave it a stronger windup and hurled the makeshift hook up in the air, letting go of the pull this time.
    It flew higher, almost reaching the top of the wall, but it was obvious this wasn’t going to work. The curtain pull was too short by an arm’s length. Even if I could get the hook end up there, reaching it would be difficult. And what if it didn’t hold my weight? What if the knot around the handle gave way?
    I wished I’d thought of these things before, but I hadn’t expected sneaking out to be this difficult. Maybe I should have let James come with me. Still, I needed something .
    A quick glance around the area provided no answers . . . except a slender wrought-iron trellis lying flat on the ground, just a short jog along the wall. Like someone had left it there to put up later. It was two stories tall, meant for one of the smaller Hawksbill mansions, most likely.
    I grabbed the trellis and dragged it toward the wall, pricklyiron scraping my palms. It was heavy , and while I wasn’t weak, this was really a two-man job. I needed to lean it up against the wall.
    After a few panicked minutes of checking my surroundings and trying to figure out the easiest way to move the trellis, I dragged the bottom against the wall and then moved around to the top. After a few deep breaths, I heaved the top up and over my head. My shoulders and arms strained as I walked forward,